While Verizon Wireless is holding on the promise to refrain itself from attacking Apple in their new nationwide campaign, the bashing continues nonetheless thanks to the carrier’s best buddy Motorola.

The disastrous manner in which Apple and its boss Steve Jobs have been handling the so-called iPhone 4 death grip has presented rivals with lots of unexpected ammunition. Nokia first jumped on the opportunity to spoof Apple’s handset by showing the various phone grips claimed not to affect its phones in any way.

And now, Verizon’s partner Motorola has taken the opportunity to take a nasty jab at Apple in a new advert promoting the July 15 Droid X launch. The image of the advert appeared on Motorola’s Facebook page late yesterday, accompanied by the following caption:

Droid X does more. Like make calls no matter which way you hold it. Available July 15th.

At first, it looks like an ordinary cellphone advert. A large Droid X image is surrounded with a bunch of blurbs highlighting the handset’s 4.3-inch screen, high-def video capture and HDMI video output, 1GHz processor, eight-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, and more. However, tucked away in the small print section bellow the image is a reference to iPhone 4’s antenna issues (emphasis added):

Introducing the DROID X by MOTOROLA, the ultimate smart phone. It’s screen is gigantic. Its capacity is huge. Every experience from messaging to movies is larger than life. It can even connect with your HD TV so you can share little things with large audiences. And most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about everywhere to make crystal clear calls. We have a voice. And you deserve to be heard.

In an internal meeting last Saturday dedicated to the latest “We Rule the Air” campaign, the management reportedly told employees that Verizon has no interest in carrying the iPhone for the time being. In addition, they reportedly told employees that the new campaign will break away from bashing AT&T and iPhone. The management obviously failed to mention that Motorola will be playing the bad cop role now.

Reader Comments

Tom

The iPhone 4, who needs a phone when you have facetime? /sarc

InfiniteRefrain

There have been rumors of people having seen the FCC info for a Verizon iPhone – touting fall-spring release. Verizon and Apple have too much to gain for them NOT to carry, at the very least, a less ‘specy’ version. The reports that they will never carry the handset have never officially come from Verizon. I wouldn’t called this rumor dead until Verizon themselves put the final nail in the coffin.